The medics took Arashi into their charge, but they weren't pleased by his state. His condition had gotten worse as they approached Konoha. When he resumed how the boy was doing and the situation, the nurses and doctor looked confused. Like they hadn't got a clue of what was going on with him. Yamato felt frustrated. According to Tsubane, his chakra level was at 0, and the sensei knew Arashi couldn't use the nine-tail chakra yet, leaving him completely exhausted. But even without being able to draw the nine-tail chakra, shouldn't the beast be able to help his injuries and state? Naruto and Arashi rarely got sick.

Kushina came into the room running.

"How is he?"

She looked pissed, and Yamato wondered how she knew this fast.

"We're monitoring him," a nurse said. "Once we know what exactly is going on, we'll be able to treat him."

Yamato nodded. Tsubane had tried giving him medicine, or help with her own chakra, but every attempt was useless.

"Your students are waiting on you to give out the reports," Kushina said, approaching her son and passing a hand in his red hair. "I saw them. At least, one of them was honest."

Yamato didn't know what to say. Kushina looked mad at him, as if it was his fault Arashi was doing this bad. He had done what he could to protect the boy.

To release the tension, the doctor said, "You're lucky the medic on his team is really good. Arashi could have been in a much worse position hadn't been from Tsubane. She has a gift for medical things. It reminds me of Tsunade. I wish she was working here. Maybe she'd know what is going on."

Yamato reminded himself to give his student the compliment. She was working hard to become a good medic ninja.

They were interrupted by a loud teenage boy coming in.

"Is Arashi okay?" Naruto, of course. Yamato recognized his blond hair and his voice as soon as he approached. He looked very worried. He started talking so fast that Yamato struggled to follow. "Kurama told me he'd give all his strength in helping Arashi and now I'm scared. We can't lose the two of them, right?"

Yamato had heard Arashi mentioning Kurama, but he had not yet figured out who that was supposed to be.

"Kurama what?" Kushina said, still in a furious mood.

"He's helping brother as much as he can, but his chakra doesn't go through Arashi, like they aren't sharing his body. Kurama told me he'd try going more into Arashi than I, in hope it can help. Even Kurama doesn't know what's going on."

Kushina paled. "Oh my god, it's even worse than I thought. It's not a bad cold combined with injuries and chakra exhaustion, isn't it?" She then turned to Yamato. "No one could have messed up with his seal, uh?"

Yamato shook his head while Kushina lifted the boy's top. She hummed while looking at it, but claimed it was normal. Yamato bit his lips, feeling he should go.

"I'll get my team to give out our reports to your husband. Do you want me to brief him on Arashi's condition? I suppose he'll try to leave sooner if he can."

Kushina nodded, looking thankful for the first time in their interactions. They all knew how the Hokage could get busy, and if he couldn't visit his son, it was not because he didn't want to. Yamato hoped the leader of the village didn't have any meetings, because Arashi was in a very bad shape. Yamato realized who Kurama was and if even a tailed beast struggled with a human virus… No, he couldn't let Arashi die.

Sai and Tsubane were standing near the Hokage's tower. Yamato read the report just to make sure they hadn't missed anything important. His students were very diligent usually. Yamato didn't find anything to add to the report.

"How is he?" Sai said. The boy didn't talk much nor showed emotion, thanks to Danzo, but this time, Yamato could see through him that he felt scared of losing a teammate.

Yamato only replied that Tsubane's medic knowledge could have helped him a lot, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. They didn't know what they faced, but Arashi was a fighter.

The Fourth received them, and when he noticed that his son was the missing Genin of the team, his face changed into worry. "Arashi is resting at home with Kushina, I suppose?"

Yamato shook his head. "I brought him to the hospital. Your wife is with him, and Naruto too. I don't quite understand how he heard it."

"Kurama told him," Sai said.

"Kurama is the nine tail, right?" Tsubane added.

The Hokage's eyes widened. "I didn't think you… Arashi told you about the fox?" the man looked incredulous.

"I guessed it. I could feel its chakra when I examined Arashi in the woods. And, well, the seal is on his stomach, I noticed it when we were swimming in a lake. Naruto has the same. They share the fox? That's how Kurama can tell Naruto about how Arashi is?"

Minato looked baffled by the girl's intelligence, while Sai seemed to nod in agreement to his teammate, unwilling to explain himself how he knew or could confirm. Even Yamato was perplexed. Minato sighed and took the report scroll to read it, before calling his assistant.

"Can you take my next meeting for me, Shikaku? Or postpone it. My son is very sick so I'll go to the hospital."

"Sure. Go take care of him, I'll handle it as long as you need to be off. Don't worry about the office. Fugaku and I will manage."

In a yellow flash, the Hokage was gone.

Days passed and Yamato visited his sick Genin every day. He overheard a conversation between the Fourth and his wife.

"Arashi's not getting any better, Minato. They only stabilize him, but he can't stay like this. And it affects Naruto too. He is not his usual happy self, and Kurama is trying so hard that I suspect he is draining Naruto's chakra along to help Arashi."

"I know, Kushina! Trust me. I don't want to lose my son either. I spoke with Shikaku this morning. We're sending teams to try to bring Tsunade back into the village. We need her here. Shikaku had the idea. Apparently, he wanted her back a few years ago and I didn't know about a mission he gave out. Tsunade wasn't ready to come back. Maybe now, with Arashi this sick, she'll do it. For me."

Yamato could only agree with the idea. But no one knew where the woman was, other than that she was traveling with Shizune, and she was going from place to place gambling.